Where have all the skaters gone?

[BlissfulSynergy]

Thanks for posting this very well-written and insightful article. Sure some of the talking points have been discussed before in the skating community, but this writer adds depth, resonance and informed, thoughtful insight to her reflections on the state of the sport and the historical path to this present moment. Plus, she also explores viable solutions. Thumbs up and Four Stars.

Now, if only the ISU and federations would read, listen, reflect and take heed!

It's a total rethinking that needs to happen. Of course, the problems are many and complex because they are intertwined with skating culture and with the larger American culture (in regard to the problems of skating in the US). The author's solutions are at least being offered, not that all of them are the magic answer. Too many people running the sport as usual, remain with their heads firmly planted in the sand, and with their fingers crossed, eyes closed and ears clogged.

 

[NaVi]

Figure skating fans are much like professional wrestling fans. No, hear me out - I'm quite serious!

Here's a stream of conscious comparison between the two...

They both had to undergo a kind of forced public branding change both around 2002. The World Wrestling Federation had to become World Wrestling Entertainment. It didn't change how the operated at all, but IMO it's a kind of upfront kayfabe break that hurts the suspension of disbelief. WWE sounds so artificial it immediately makes me more nostalgic for the times of the WWF. And the change happened at the same time as the WCW invasion angle and the switch from the Attitude Era to the Ruthless Aggression era. I stopped watching consistently around then not because of any big changes but because of college.

The ISU was forced to make changes to the judging system after the judging controversy in 2002. Ostensibly the system was created to help prevent cheating, but it really had more to do with trying to get figure skating seen as a legitimate sport. I think it's had more success in that then actually preventing cheating. Figure skating really IMO needs 2 different judging systems. One "gamified" system that looks at each element and component distinctively and another "artistic" or "performance" one that tries to appreciate the performance at a higher level.

The element/component judging system has it's benefits but it also distorts the performance artistically. It leads towards more projection and performing for the judges instead of the audience, programs choreographed for point min-maxxing, cutting out elements that don't fit well with the scheme like scratch spins, too regular and unmusical spinning, etc. IMO, The current IJS measures too much when it comes to components(should be 3 instead of 5), spins levels (just judge by GOE for seniors... if it's unlikely the spins with make the point difference that matters then let them be more free), and it is not fully gamified when rewarding less often done combinations like 3-3-3 or -3Lo and with rewarding 3As and Quads done later in the program.

The other parallel is that they both had some competition in the 90s that was greatly reduced by the 2000s. The WWF outcompeting and buying out WCW and ECW and the ISU formalizing the grand prix and discouraging skaters from skating in pro-competitions. Both their competitors helped kill themselves though.

I think an issue that affects both of them in different ways is that they're both are kind of watered down. During the height of the Monday Night Wars both WCW and the WWF added another big weekly show on Thursdays. I personally think that in the very long run(2+ decades now) this may have hurt wrestlings casual popularity. The writers have difficulty writing for all the time they have to fill up and the casual fans have difficulty keeping up with the story lines. Then they made Raw 3 hours which is impossible to sit through.

Figure skating's is watered down in a much different way. It's because you have the same skaters skating the same programs for a whole year. That's OK for era where 95% of the fans are casuals who happen to catch it on one of the 4-5 channels the antenna can get. In the internet age, all the drama is taken out with regards to anything to do with artistry. It is 95% just about how cleanliness and stumbles. Seeing the same program done over and over again dulls and numbs the affect of the program .I personally think that this numbing effect caused by the scheduling makes it impossible to put on an artistically focused competition no matter what ruleset. Competing on artistry really needs some surprise to it. It's sad because on something like Ice Age or Battle of the Blades you see celebrities and kids do a new program ever week or every other week. I personally think half the season should be kind of like those shows except the judges should not talk.

Both figure skating and professional wrestling depend on the broader culture for how they act in their performances. IMO, the general cultural milieu of the 80s and 90s were more conductive for the kind for the performances generally found in both figure skating and pro wrestling. There was more romanticism and the nihilism of the mid to late 90s was playful aimlessness that still had an undercurrent of optimism underneath it. I think the culture change hit figure skating much harder, but I do know that many fans were alienated by WWE's switch to PG rating for their shows which was definitely out of step of the broader culture.

 

[alexocfp]

So, reading the last few posts, we need more chairs shots and run ins in figure skating to make it more popular. Haha

The internet means you can see any skater on demand.

Wrestling was hurt by the internet as well because everyone now just acts like it’s all a show. Illusion has been ruined forever.

Can you imagine Roddy Piper going on the internet to thank Hogan for a great match after wrestlemania 1?

 

[chasingneverland]

I'm sorry haha. Every time I see this title I want to sing "and where are all the gods".

 

[el henry]

I'm sorry haha. Every time I see this title I want to sing "and where are all the gods".

I had to google to figure out what that referred to.

I'm from yet an earlier generation, the next line in my song would be "Long time passing...."

 

[anonymoose_au]

I'm sorry haha. Every time I see this title I want to sing "and where are all the gods".

I still belt out "Where have all the cowboys gone?" whenever I see it.

 

[el henry]

How many songs are there that say "Where have all the X gone"

My favorite cover of the song I think of, from EW&F. Someone should do this an exhibition, probably ice dancers:

Where Have All The Flowers Gone

Earth, Wind & Fire's 1972 Album "Last Days & Time"

www.youtube.com

 

[ice coverage]

Dr. Rossano's information is always up-to-date and he gives his opinions in forthright language that cuts through complicated issues. I cannot myself evaluate whether the proposed changes will cut off member clubs from direct participation in USFS affairs, as Ropssano appears to fear. An ominous sign, if true.

More re 2021 USFS Governing Council:

In the last two days ( Starting Apr 24 and Apr 25), Rossano has been updateding his site with additional information about proposals to be discussed at Governing Council, which takes place this week.

http://iceskatingintnl.com/

ETA (on May 13):

Belatedly making note that soon after 2021 Governing Council, Rossano had removed all related content from his site, as far as I can see.​

---

ETA (on Apr 28):

Governing Council set for this week | U.S. Figure Skating

www.usfigureskating.org

ETA (on May 13):

- USFS 2020-21 Combined Report of Action has been published:

https://www.usfigureskating.org/sit...a-files/2020-21 Combined Report of Action.pdf (74 pages)​

The reporting on Governing Council (including revision of bylaws) starts on p. 24.

- Belatedly adding USFS press release from May 1:

2021 Governing Council Concludes | U.S. Figure Skating

www.usfigureskating.org

 

[ice coverage]

Skating Club of Wilmington will be offering a private introductory lesson as a vaccination incentive.

A good opportunity to encourage new skaters to try the sport.

(SCW Members and individuals who already are skaters will be offered other incentives.)

ETA (on Jun 10):

I had embedded below the first Insta post from Jun 8.

Today a second post has additional details:

Get vaccinated by June 29 and receive a FREE Introductory Private Skating Lesson for you and your children who are under 12 yrs old. ...

Please note:
This program is for Delaware residents only and the offer is intended for new skaters. More information on other rewards for out of state residents, current skaters and SCW Members will be available shortly.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CP8LHumtx5Q/ (Jun 10)​

 

[Skater Boy]

Here's a stream of conscious comparison between the two...

They both had to undergo a kind of forced public branding change both around 2002. The World Wrestling Federation had to become World Wrestling Entertainment. It didn't change how the operated at all, but IMO it's a kind of upfront kayfabe break that hurts the suspension of disbelief. WWE sounds so artificial it immediately makes me more nostalgic for the times of the WWF. And the change happened at the same time as the WCW invasion angle and the switch from the Attitude Era to the Ruthless Aggression era. I stopped watching consistently around then not because of any big changes but because of college.

The ISU was forced to make changes to the judging system after the judging controversy in 2002. Ostensibly the system was created to help prevent cheating, but it really had more to do with trying to get figure skating seen as a legitimate sport. I think it's had more success in that then actually preventing cheating. Figure skating really IMO needs 2 different judging systems. One "gamified" system that looks at each element and component distinctively and another "artistic" or "performance" one that tries to appreciate the performance at a higher level.

The element/component judging system has it's benefits but it also distorts the performance artistically. It leads towards more projection and performing for the judges instead of the audience, programs choreographed for point min-maxxing, cutting out elements that don't fit well with the scheme like scratch spins, too regular and unmusical spinning, etc. IMO, The current IJS measures too much when it comes to components(should be 3 instead of 5), spins levels (just judge by GOE for seniors... if it's unlikely the spins with make the point difference that matters then let them be more free), and it is not fully gamified when rewarding less often done combinations like 3-3-3 or -3Lo and with rewarding 3As and Quads done later in the program.

The other parallel is that they both had some competition in the 90s that was greatly reduced by the 2000s. The WWF outcompeting and buying out WCW and ECW and the ISU formalizing the grand prix and discouraging skaters from skating in pro-competitions. Both their competitors helped kill themselves though.

I think an issue that affects both of them in different ways is that they're both are kind of watered down. During the height of the Monday Night Wars both WCW and the WWF added another big weekly show on Thursdays. I personally think that in the very long run(2+ decades now) this may have hurt wrestlings casual popularity. The writers have difficulty writing for all the time they have to fill up and the casual fans have difficulty keeping up with the story lines. Then they made Raw 3 hours which is impossible to sit through.

Figure skating's is watered down in a much different way. It's because you have the same skaters skating the same programs for a whole year. That's OK for era where 95% of the fans are casuals who happen to catch it on one of the 4-5 channels the antenna can get. In the internet age, all the drama is taken out with regards to anything to do with artistry. It is 95% just about how cleanliness and stumbles. Seeing the same program done over and over again dulls and numbs the affect of the program .I personally think that this numbing effect caused by the scheduling makes it impossible to put on an artistically focused competition no matter what ruleset. Competing on artistry really needs some surprise to it. It's sad because on something like Ice Age or Battle of the Blades you see celebrities and kids do a new program ever week or every other week. I personally think half the season should be kind of like those shows except the judges should not talk.

Both figure skating and professional wrestling depend on the broader culture for how they act in their performances. IMO, the general cultural milieu of the 80s and 90s were more conductive for the kind for the performances generally found in both figure skating and pro wrestling. There was more romanticism and the nihilism of the mid to late 90s was playful aimlessness that still had an undercurrent of optimism underneath it. I think the culture change hit figure skating much harder, but I do know that many fans were alienated by WWE's switch to PG rating for their shows which was definitely out of step of the broader culture.

And they both involve spandex and drama...but professional wrestling seems much more like a show than a competition.

 

[Sharon Whitlock]

In the U.S. it's money. All money.

Rinks cost money to build and maintain, and are either publicly-funded through taxes or privately-funded by investors. Once built, the rinks have to attract a clientele willing and able to pay for their ice sport of choice (hockey, figure skating, broomball, curling, and possibly intro to speed skating (very limited).

Of these sports, figure skating is one of the most expensive, if not THE most expensive. 30 years ago, my husband and I were paying around $24,000 (twenty four thousand) dollars a year to keep our daughters involved with figure skating , and they were only doing 1 freestyle a day, five days a week, along with an elite (at that time, but not now--team has disbanded) synchro team involvement. And of course, "elite synchro" is hardly the money-pit that a singles skater falls into every day, week, and year.

And although both of our daughters were able to find decent-paying coaching jobs in college, it was hardly enough to cover their college expenses--the coaching income mainly paid for their good times, clothing, cars, gas, etc. in college, and since they were at the rink much of their spare time, their "good times" was not often the traditional college kid idea of good times (which, to put it bluntly for non-Americans reading this, means parties and alcohol!).

Many parents simply don't have the income to pay for this sport! One-half of all marriages in the U.S. end in divorce (I don't know what the stats are for same-sex married couples, but I suspect it's probably not as high, but still high). This means single parents, which often (but not always) means a decrease in income and even more important, a loss of spare time to spend getting kids to and from extracurricular activities.

If a child does appear to have some athletic ability, parents will often encourage the child to get involved with a sport that can lead to a college scholarship. In the U.S., many colleges offer full-rides (all expenses paid) to athletes, and there are several divisions of NCAA. Do you know what sport in the U.S. garners the MOST college scholarships at this time? ---hint, it's NOT figure skating! It's BOWLING!!! Yes, that humble sport of Fred Flintstone and Barney Rubble! You can still bowl a game in the U.S. for under $5, and regular bowlers pay even less! And a bowling ball, shoes, and jersey costs a whole lot less than figure skates and ice time! And bowling has soooooo many sponsors! What figure skating needs is BUDWEISER or MILLER to sponsor the sport--but how likely is this?!!! ha ha ha

Also do not forget that for many years, the U.S. has had a negative population growth, and our birth rate is dropping every year. This year, out of a population of 350 million, only 3.5 million babies were allowed to be born. That means that there simply isn't a big enough field of children to provide a large influx of new skaters. And one of the main reasons for the declining birth rate is finances--parents can't afford to have more than 2 children, and once they have those children, they seek out the cheapest activities for their children that are likely to result in school and college success, job success, physical health/fitness success, and mental/spiritual/life satisfaction and joy. Figure skating is often seen as a sport in which only a FEW children achieve success--I personally think that U.S. Figure Skating should attempt to change this perception, because many skaters never come near winning ANYTHING at any level of the sport, but they can still find great enjoyment and friendship in the sport throughout their lives.

But mainly, it's money. We just don't have enough parents making incomes that can support the rise of elite singles skaters, let alone pairs and dance skaters. Heck, even our synchro teams have been off the World medal podium for a few years now (at the Senior level), and who know what will happen after this pandemic year of very limited opportunities for synchronized skating teams to practice.

I hope this post is helpful as people think about the excellent question posed by the OP.

 

[ice coverage]

USFS blog post today about addition of NHL teams being good news for local/regional figure skating:

... The Kraken enter the NHL just four years after the Golden Knights’ arrival triggered a newfound interest in skating in the Las Vegas area. Chad Goodwin, who was the skating director with the Golden Knights and recently assumed the same position with the Kraken, recalls the rapid growth.
... Goodwin sees the same opportunity for growth in Seattle. ...
... (He) plans to reach out to skating clubs in the Seattle area to assess their thoughts regarding the NHL team, the new skating facility, and see how they can work together to grow figure skating. ...
... Goodwin is quick to add that he has a figure skating background.
... "He has done amazing things in Las Vegas for the figure skating community," Black (president of the Seattle Skating Club) says. ...

Kraken ‘tide’ floating all ice sports in Pacific Northwest

By Ed Rabinowitz

medium.com